The personalistic theological studies of archimadrite Sophrony (Sakharov) and the triadological teaching of the orthodox Church

Lastochkin O.

The article presents the personalistic theological studies of Archmandrite Sophony (Sakharov) regarding its authenticity to the teaching of the Orthodox Church. The applied methodology is a comparative analysis and an exegetical analysis elucidating the sense and meaning of the statements in question. The analysis deals with the personalistic attitudes of Fr. Saphrony, such as the primacy of the Person in God as related to nature and the kenotic nature of the Person, whereby the unity of God and the perichoresis of the Hypostases are understood as the consequence of kenotic relation of the Hypostases and the kenosis is understood as the basis of the Life in Trinity. It is stated that in these beliefs Fr. Saphrony follows Russian religious and philosophical thought, in particular Fr. S. Bulgakov. The patristic Tradition is studied on the issue of the relation between nature and the Hypostases in God and the kenosis in the Life in Trinity. According to the Sacred Tradition, the personalistic teaching of Fr. Saphrony on the Life in Trinity, its kenotic nature, which includes the teaching about the Person, the kenosis in God, and the unity of God, is considered to be a distortion of the Orthodox doctrine. The novelty of the research lies in the critical scrutiny of Fr. Saphrony’s triadological views in their relation to the Orthodox teaching, which is conducted for the first time.

Keywords:Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), Person, Nature, God–Trinity, Kenosis, Fr. S. Bulgakov, personalistic theological studies, Orthodox doctrine, perichoresis of the Hypostases.